| WWBA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS BLOG |
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| The PGCrosschecker Blog, written by David Rawnsley and
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Championships from Marietta, Georgia. Check back frequently each day for
updates on the top performers, top prospects, top teams, and weather updates
from the National Championship. |
WWBA 16U National Championship Blogs 
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| HARGROVE HEADLINES SUMMER SKIPPERS |
| Friday July 18, 2008 |
The unexpected appearance of former major
league player and manager Mike Hargrove in the uniform of the Jayhawk League’s
Liberal Bee Jays this summer has shed some additional national spotlight on
some of the country’s top summer college league programs.
Hargrove, who played 12 years in the big leagues from 1974-85 and managed for
16 more before abruptly resigning as skipper of the Seattle Mariners at
mid-season a year ago, signed on to manage the Bee Jays, four-time National
Baseball Congress World Series champions. Hargrove played for the Bee Jays in
the summer of 1972 when he was a college player at nearby Northwestern Oklahoma
State, and has maintained a long association with the team.
“I’m enjoying this, I’m having fun,” Hargrove said earlier this summer. “I
would like to manage again in the big leagues someday. But I’m not unhappy here
by any stretch of the imagination. No matter what level you play on, it’s still
a great game.”
Traditionally, summer college league coaches come from almost all walks of life
in the baseball world with the notable exception of Division I head coaches as
the NCAA does not allow D-I head coaches to coach in summer league competition
as it once did.
Summer league coaches typically range from Division III and NAIA head coaches,
to junior college head coaches, to college assistants, to high school coaches,
to ex-coaches, to former players—even former big leaguers.
Hargrove is the most celebrated ex-big leaguer managing on the summer league
level this year, but he is not the only one. At least 10 former big league
players are serving as head coaches of clubs in the nation’s recognized summer
college leagues. More than 20 such leagues exist.
Here’s the 10 former big leaguers managing this summer at the summer college
league level, ranked by the number of big league seasons they played:
|
| Rank |
Manager |
Team |
League |
Big League Seasons |
| 1 |
Jim Gantner |
Wisconsin Woodchucks |
Northwoods |
17 (1976-92) |
| 2 |
Frank Viola |
Leesburg Lightning |
Florida Collegiate |
15 (1982-96) |
| 3 |
Mike Hargrove |
Liberal Bee Jays |
Jayhawk |
12 (1974-85) |
| |
Kevin Seitzer |
Mac ‘N Seitz A’s |
MINK |
12 (1986-97) |
| 5 |
Roy Howell |
San Luis Obispo Rattlers |
California Collegiate |
11 (1974-84) |
| 6 |
Rich DeLucia |
Kutztown Rockies |
Atlantic Collegiate |
10 (1990-99) |
| 7 |
Chris Bando |
Braves |
Arizona Collegiate |
9 (1981-89) |
| 8 |
Todd Benzinger |
Cincinnati Steam |
Great Lakes |
9 (1987-95) |
| 9 |
Phil Stephenson |
Dodge City A’s |
Jayhawk |
4 (1989-92) |
| 10 |
Ricky Jones |
Athens Pirates |
Great South |
1 (1988) |
|
|
|
| High School National Rankings |
| |
| Class of 2009 |
| Top
10, Class of 2009 |
 |
| #1 - Matthew Purke |
| LHP |
| 6-3 170 |
| Spring, TX |
| Class of 2009 |
|
| Top
10, Class of 2009 |
 |
| #2 - Tyler Matzek |
| LHP |
| 6-3 185 |
| Mission Viejo, CA |
| Class of 2009 |
|
| Top
10, Class of 2009 |
 |
| #3 - Donavan Tate |
| OF |
| 6-3 200 |
| Cartersville, GA |
| Class of 2009 |
|
| Top
10, Class of 2009 |
 |
| #4 - Mychal Givens |
| SS/P |
| 6-2 185 |
| Tampa, FL |
| Class of 2009 |
|
| Top
10, Class of 2009 |
 |
| #5 - Jacob Turner |
| RHP |
| 6-4 205 |
| St. Charles, MO |
| Class of 2009 |
|
| Top
10, Class of 2009 |
 |
| #6 - Austin Maddox |
| C/P |
| 6-3 220 |
| Jacksonville, FL |
| Class of 2009 |
|
| Top
10, Class of 2009 |
 |
| #7 - Luke Bailey |
| C |
| 6-0 195 |
| LaGrange, GA |
| Class of 2009 |
|
| Top
10, Class of 2009 |
 |
| #8 - Chad Thompson |
| RHP |
| 6-8 215 |
| Trabuco Canyon, CA |
| Class of 2009 |
|
| Top
10, Class of 2009 |
 |
| #9 - Max Stassi |
| C |
| 5-10 187 |
| Yuba City, CA |
| Class of 2009 |
|
| Top
10, Class of 2009 |
 |
| #10 - Zach Wheeler |
| RHP |
| 6-4 180 |
| Dallas, GA |
| Class of 2009 |
|
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| The Latest 2009 Rankings Released |
| 6/29/2008 at 8:00pm |
| |
The 2008 Perfect Game National Showcase is over. The 2008
USA Tournament of Stars is over. Many of the 2008 Area Code Tryouts are over.
The 2008 Aflac All Americans have been selected. The big PG WWBA events are
about to start and the first PGCrosschecker 2009 draft eligible player rankings
have been updated.
The rankings include 700 high school players from the draft class of 2009. This
list will change many times before next June’s MLB Draft. Many of these players
will sign with top college programs this November. Some have already made
verbal commitments to national power programs. There will be many new names pop
up on the list over the year with the goal being to have as accurate a list as
possible by next June.
Being nearly a full year away from next June we understand that many
outstanding prospects are not yet on the pgcrosschecker list. If you feel
someone very deserving should be listed feel free to contact Perfect Game with
your suggestions: pgstaff@perfectgame.org
Read more ....
|
| HS Class of 2009: Top 700 Prospects Updated:
6/29/08 8:00pm |
Top 700 2009 High School Prospects  Updated:
6/29/08 8:00pm
|
| 2009 Prospects - State By State Updated:
6/29/08 8:00pm
|
| 2009 Prospects - State By State Rankings Updated:
6/29/08 8:00pm
|
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